Benidorm Fest has the ability to make dreams come true. The exposure provided by the RTVE program enabled singer María Bas (Ondara, 1967) and producer Mark Dasousa (Ondara, 1975), husband and wife for 20 years, to achieve overnight stardom. After winning first place in the semi-finals of the television competition with her song Bitch.
Although La Raíz has a long career as a producer of bands such as Zoo, La Fúmiga or Aspencat; Benidorm Fest propelled him to the forefront of the music industry. His is a different situation. Without dedicating himself professionally to music, he decided to embark on an artistic path that would take him to the final, which gave him the right to represent Spain at Eurovision in 2020. All this with a song that aims to leave no one indifferent. A restructuring and empowerment aimed at changing the meaning of an adjective that has long been used to subjugate women.
“What happened is inexplicable for us,” says the vocalist, who assures that he spent “the whole morning crying and talking to my children.” Emotions are rising after it was confirmed that the virality that social networks had brought to the issue was repeated with the support of judges and the public. “We knew the song had potential and we were able to sing it, but we didn’t believe it would have such a big impact. We never would have thought that the jury would bet on us because we have such wonderful artists as Angy, Sofia Coll or Miss Caffeína,” María argues.
Your offer is on stage With two dancers accompanying the singer throughout her performance, feminism with wrinkles was asserted, as well as sexuality as art.: “There are many people who fail to understand our purpose and criticize the staging. We are trying to achieve some aesthetics. queer, Because it is a sector that suffers from a lot of discrimination.
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In the middle of the Eurovision bubble, a debate arose around one of the Eurovision rules that could exclude the song from the competition. Bitch. It is stated that “topics, speech or gestures of a political nature are not allowed” in the competition. And the ideas conveyed by this song are clear, despite its producer. Mark Dasousa assures that the song was born without any pretensions: “The song was born in our house, without any intention of creating an anthem, just to make an autobiographical song. It is ours, it belongs to everyone who feels identified with him”.
Regarding this debate, he says that if they were allowed to participate in Eurovision, “it would mean that we could take this message to Europe. This would be a very important social progress.” And if they don’t let us do that, the song will only make itself stronger. “The song tells a truth, and if they don’t want to see it, that means we’re back to the time before the revelation.”
If they become champions at the third edition of Benidorm Fest and can represent Spain in Malmö with the song in question, the language could serve as a wall between Nebulossa and Europe. “Language can be a bit of a deterrent to the message catching on because the English meaning of ‘bitch’ is ‘bitch’, which is a stronger word associated with the adjective ‘whore’. The wordplay can be a deterrent, but people have written to us from many countries that have also received the message,” he said. claims Mark. He continues: “For example, those of us who loved the Anglo-Saxon music of the 80s by bands like The Cure enjoyed the melodies without explicitly paying attention to the meaning of the lyrics. The music is international and we trust that the public European can connect with us.”
late stars
From singing at home to singing for all of Spain. María Bas’s husband, Mark Dasousa, is excited to see his partner realize his dream at the age of 55. “I am very excited for him. This is a dream he has always dreamed of and has finally started to realize. One day he told me that he wanted to make a music project with the songs he listened to in his youth, and this helped me a lot.” “It brought us to this point,” comments the producer.. “After 20 years of being a couple, it is a joy for me to be able to accompany her on such an important path for her. As a musician who has gone through many emotional situations with music, I have the feeling that Nebulossa has renewed me. Well,” he explains. “Although I am not the center of attention, I really enjoy being able to contribute to making my great love happy.”
Support from the couple who have been together for twenty years. María is grateful for Mark’s support and adds that this project also serves as personal therapy: “I’m a pretty introverted person with a lot of insecurities, and I sing out loud a song like this: Bitch. “Mark was a little scared about how this would be accepted, but it has been a freedom for everyone and I thank him for being with me throughout this process.”
Together they discovered that music is not age dependent, it is not taboo. He is 55 years old and she is 47 years old. Even though they have seen opportunities pass them by, they have managed to find a niche in the industry where they can stay true to their own style with touches from yesterday and today. It’s not a young group. “When you reach an age, you see how the doors close on you, but I always tried to stay behind to push them away. “Eventually, you come to the conclusion that if you want something, you have to work hard for it.” claims the singer.
They are now preparing for the final, which will take place on Saturday, February 3. Regarding the show, The rules prevent them from changing anything. But both assure that what they will change will be something internal, and they are trying to enjoy more of a performance that could lead them to represent Spain at the International Eurovision Song Contest. It is held in Sweden this year. Will you conquer? Bitch To Europe?